Ideals and Varieties of the Pinhole Camera

Explore the fascinating intersection of mathematics and photography in this AMS Invited Address from the 2023 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Delve into the history and mechanics of the pinhole camera, tracing its evolution from ancient times to modern applications. Examine the mathematical principles behind image reconstruction, including projective geometry and chiral reconstruction. Investigate the intriguing Question 296 and its implications for computer vision. Learn about smooth cubic surfaces and their connection to classical geometry. Discover the role of invariant theory in understanding the geometry of six points in space. Gain insights into the mathematical foundations of image formation and reconstruction, with applications ranging from historical reconstruction to cutting-edge computer vision techniques.

Introduction
A reconstruction of Dubrovnik
History of the Pinhole Camera
Pinhole Camera Illustration
History of Photography
Pinhole Camera
General Projective Camera
Reconstruction
Question 296
Chiral Reconstruction
Projective Reconstruction
Schlafly Double Six
Smooth cubic surface
Classical cubic surface
Invariant theory
Invariants of 6 points
Questions